Disclaimer: I do not own Dynasty Warriors…or ROTTK. There all said and done.

That spark

Xiao Qiao ran through the halls to her room, slamming the doors shut with a thundering sound. She leaned against the back of her doors, her breath coming in ragged pants. How could he? How could he do that to her?

"That idiot" Xiao exclaimed in a whisper. Knowing that was far from the truth about him. Seating herself against the back of her doors, Xiao raised a hand to her face, it was burning to the touch. Searing from an unknown heat spurned from something…or someone.

"H-he knows how I feel about Zhou-sama yet he still did it." a tear fell down her cheek. He betrayed her trust, he took what she saved for her precious one.

But you just admitted that Zhou Yu wasn't whom you loved…

"I hate you Lu Xun." the younger Qiao spat out loudly in the emptiness of her room. In her heart of hearts, she knew…that was far from the truth.

Why didn't she feel as angry as she should have been?

Its all my fault, she thought frantically, I shouldn't have provoked him into it.

How could she have not noticed…that she was slowly…

No, enough! She forced herself to discontinue the thought. Her body curled into a fetal position against the door.

It was only a few hours away, yet it seemed to have happened mere seconds ago.

He was hunched over scrolls again, revising and marking over things he would note. His ornate winged hat rested alone on a small table beside the worktable he was currently busying himself over. Luscious caramel brown hair framed equally caramel eyes which were narrowed in concentration. His face, set in determination was as beautiful as the finest jade. The strategist's attention was taken so much, he didn't notice that another had joined him in the room.

She couldn't help but marvel at the picture he presented. The left side of her lip curled in fondness.

He looked so much like Zhou-sama right now! Xiao thought. Oh how she wanted to make Zhou-sama love her as she loved him. He was the best friend of her beloved sister's husband, it would only be right if she loved him. Right?

"Xun-san! Hello!" He was the only person she added that endearment to, others she always referred to with -sama. She didn't know why she called him that, and even if she did, she didn't care, because he didn't mind it.

Startled caramel eyes looked up from what kept them captive for so long and a small smile spread across his handsome face. "Lady Qiao." He greeted warmly. His gloved hands swept over the scroll before him and rolled the parchment gracefully. "How are you doing this evening?"

Xiao smiled, he was always polite despite the fact that they've been friends for quite a while now. As much as she tried to get him to stop it around her, he was persistent, so in the end she just gave up. Too much effort spent only to be in vain. "I'm doing alright, how about you?" she frowned somewhat, "You've been shacked up in this room since this morning, when are you going to come out? And don't say you haven't been in here for that long, I've been checking." Her dark eyes narrowed, unusual for the overly bright young girl.

Lu Xun had the decency to blush somewhat. Shaking his head gently, he chuckled. "Maybe you caught me. Maybe you didn't, I was out only a while ago to eat dinner with everybody else." He sat down in the chair beside his hat, looking tired. "Your sister saw me."

Xiao pouted.

"Where were you? I don't believe I saw you." Xun's caramel eyes pierced into her wide dark eyes, his legs were stretched out from the seat he sat in, and his fingers laced together. His caramel bangs fell into his eyes as he looked up at her questioningly. Lips that looked soft and inviting were set in an indeterminable emotion.

She wanted to talk, Lu Xun could tell. Her nervous aura and pouting lips gave it away.

"In fact…I don't believe Zhou Yu was at dinner also. Odd, don't you think?" His lips curved into a slight smile, that looked a tad teasing.

Xiao fidgeted, uncomfortable with so much focus put on her all of a sudden. Darn it, how come he had to do that! It made her feel like a child being interrogated for stealing a cookie from baker's shop. She smiled, "I was training…"

Lu Xun noticed that Xiao's smile faded as her sentence did also. "Alone?"

"With Zhou-sama…" Xiao blushed and looked at the ground. Xun smiled slightly once more, she was so cute.

"that must have been an event," he whispered softly his eyes imploringly searched her, "you must be bursting with joy."

Her cherubic features scrunched together in thought, "Not as much as I thought it would be Xun-san…not at all." Dark eyes met his, he concluded her eyes were turned before because they were glittering with happiness. Instead, he was met with watery almond eyes, dark as a sea in the night. He frowned, what could have happened.

He straightened up in the chair and held his arms wide in invitation. "come here." his voice was soft at the suggestion, but if Xiao wasn't mistaken it was also a command. Her fingers found their way to the soft fabric of his coat shirt- the crimson material felt velvety, as she hesitantly entered his embrace. She wasn't surprised to feel a pristine feeling of security and peace that fell over her despite her sadness. Something passed through her fleetingly, and for some reason she tried to reach for it again futilely.

Xiao felt her face being lifted from underneath her chin by slender fingers and once again, she found herself marveling his visage once more. "Talk to me." Lu Xun spoke tenderly and held her warmly. For some reason, today felt different from any other days they had took comfort in each others friendship.

Xiao couldn't help but note that this was the first time in their friendship they had ever hugged. With her other friends, she wasn't hesitant to give casual contact, such as a hug in greeting. But, Xiao told herself, Xun's different.

How could he be any different from any other friend…?

Xiao Qiao buried her face into the fabric of his shirt coat, she didn't notice the blush that was slowly infusing Lu Xun's face. She mumbled quietly, "I didn't feel tha spar." Her eyes closed, for some reason being in Xun's arms made her feel drowsy. A good drowsy, Xiao realised.

Arching a brow, Xun asked in amusement, "Come again?" He could feel her slipping off him, with her constant fidgeting. In response, Lu wrapped a strong arm more securely about her waist and brought her even closer. The caramel haired man was acutely aware of how compromising their position had become. Her thin lithe legs had wrapped around his waist and the back of the chair (in her attempt for stability he figured) he was sitting in, and her arms were beginning to curl around his neck. The side of her face pressed against the crook where neck and shoulder met.

The oddity of it all was that, it didn't discomfit him at all. In fact, he might have even enjoyed it if one; Xiao wasn't so dead set on another…mentally he shook his thoughts away, "Xiao?"

His hand clenched her side when her lips brushed against his neck as she spoke, " I didn't feel that spark." She sounded both confused and frustrated.

"That spark?" questioned Lu Xun.

The brunette girl nodded, her still not lifting from his shoulder. "The spark that Da tells me about when she's with Sun Ce-sama. The one she said that I would feel when I knew I found him."

Ah. It was coming together now, Xun thought. "What happened when you were training with him?"

Xiao now had an arm curled around the back of Xun's neck, and her other traced the golden designs on his shirt coat. Lu Xun had to wonder if she knew she was touching his chest. He tore away from his ponderings when the girl in his arms began her tale.

"Well I was practicing routines with Jie Jie in the courtyard before dinner again like we usually did, but for once Sun (Ce)-sama and Zhou-sama were there! I was getting really nervous and so I kept messing up. I made a fool of myself up until when the maid that comes to fetch us for dinner came." Xiao blushed thinking back of how silly she must have looked. She continued, "All the embarrassment made me lose my appetite…so I told Jie Jie I wasn't going to go to dinner. I was determined to make up for the bad training session I had.

"Zhou-sama stayed behind and asked if he could help me train. I accepted. I was so happy…but I was also so very nervous. I didn't want to mess up again, especially in front of him." Dark almond eyes met caramel eyes that pierced though the boyishly handsome fly away bangs.. "It ended up being a productive training session, he helped me clean up some of the things I messed up with even when practicing with Jie Jie. I found it not as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be. Actually…it was fun."

Xiao saw Lu Xun frown, she was unsure of why though. "If you had fun then why are you upset?"

Xiao smiled widely, "I'm not upset, I'm just….disappointed. I didn't feel that spark Xun-san." she pouted. "I'm disappointed with my speculation."

"so…because you did not feel that spark, you decided you aren't in love with Zhou Yu anymore?" With a start, Xiao held in a gasp when Lu Xun's face came quite close to her own. A burning sensation rose within her cheeks again, so did that feeling. The one she tried to reach out to before it disappeared, returned. This time it stayed. She felt inexplicably warm on the inside.

Thick dark lashes brushed against her cheeks as she boldly kept her stare locked to his. Her whisper was soft against his chiseled features, and it was unlike her usual energetically hyper tone. "I don't think I ever was in love with him…I think it was the thought of being in love that drew me to him. He's the best friend of my sister's husband…I guess I just assumed that I would fall for him eventually."

His face was dangerously close to her own, Xiao finally realized, and for once during the whole time in the company of Xun she noticed the compromising position they were in. She blushed at the thought of being found like this…looking like…lovers.

For some reason, she did not move as his gloved fingers brushed against her face. Xiao's dark eyes closed halfway at the soft texture of his ministrations, her senses felt like they were getting out of control. She had never felt this way before.

For some reason, she did not resist the fingers pulling her in closer towards the face compared to the finest jade.

"Good of you to finally realize that, Lady Qiao."

For some reason, she did not mind his words to her before it happened.

His lips brushed against hers gently before pressing harder then pulling back. That fleeting burst came back and left when his lips left hers. Now it seemed caramel eyes burned into her own shocked almond. Xiao's mouth hung agape and her small hands clutched at his forearms.

She blinked, and he stared at her expectantly. The brunette girl gasped for breath, everything caved in.

In a panicked frenzy, Xiao Qiao untangled herself from Lu Xun and ran.

"Xiao Qiao!"

Her shoes echoed in the hallways. Tears came to her eyes.

"Mei Mei?" Xiao's head perked up at the words, jie jie was at the door. Wiping away remnants of tears, she grasped the handle to let her sister in. "Yes, Jie Jie?"

Da gasped at Xiao's appearance, "Mei Mei what happened?!" Xiao's clothing were wrinkled and creased. Her healthy complexion was blotchy and her eyes were slightly pink. Da frowned. "Who made you cry?"

Xiao's bottom lip trembled and she fell into the safe arms of her older sister. She clutched at her desperately. Da guided Xiao to her bed and patted her little sister's back soothingly.

The younger Qiao began to hiccup and sniffle, "H-he k-kissed me!" she wailed.

Da looked surprised, "Who? Zhou-sama?" she was confused when her sister shook her head. "Who then Mei mei?

"Xun-san…" Xiao couldn't explain the ache that came at the mention of his name, more tears fell. She pictured caramel eyes and felt a phantom feeling of strong arms around her.

"Oh my goodness! He did, but he knows you love Zhou-"

Xiao interrupted her, "Jie Jie…how did it feel when you knew Ce-sama was the one…?"

Da blinked at the sudden question. With a finger to her chin, she deliberated. "Well…when Ce held my hand for the first time I felt…warm. Like I was floating on air! When he first held me," the older Qiao smiled in rememberance, "I felt like I was safe and that I didn't need to worry about anything other than him. A serenity washes over me like no other when his arms are around me, and when he kisses me…" Da trailed off with a lovesick smile.

"When he kisses you." Xiao prodded eagerly. She had to know!

Her older sister gave a coy look, "I felt that spark. That feeling that you don't want to leave you because it's the most wonderful thing in the world."

…that spark…the most wonderful thing in the world…

"That's what I felt." said Xiao, "W-with Xun-san."

Gasping aloud, Da squealed, "is it?! Are you sure? How do you feel around him?"

She fidgeted and looked out the window of her room, "comfortable."

Da gave her a look," Xiao."

Xiao's eyes were glued to the window as she confessed something she hadn't confessed to herself alone before. "Like…just being myself is the most precious thing. I don't have to impress him to get his attention…because I always have it."

She gave her jie jie a loving hug. Her eyes on something out of the window. "I need to go."

"Xiao…if you believe he is the one. Tell him." A secret message passed between them.

"Wish me luck."

Then she was off.

Da looked on fondly as her little sister ran off. A smile brushed her lips as walked to her husband; whom just approached Xiao's room for her.

"Luck." she granted.

She knew where he would be, it was like some innate homing device but she always somehow knew. Some would call it a hunch, she called it intuition.

Her intuition called her to go to the tactics room Xun spent so much time in, the room where they had so many conversations. It was the room she was in only a few hours ago…with him.

Zhou Yu was no lingered categorized under…him. Now that position had been taken.

Just a few more steps, Xiao cheered. Reaching the door, she knocked, hoping to surprise him. Once the door creaked open, she impatiently pushed it wider herself and pounced. "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry 'bout what?" Xiao's eyes snapped open, her face flamed in embarressment. She looked up. Bells.

Gan Ning of the bells in fact. He had a suggestive look on his face, "If your sorry for being so late to realize that your deeply deeply in love with me. Then your forg--"

"GET OUT! Where's Xun-san?!"

"In there…where else?" Perplexed, Gan Ning of the bells who once was standing in the tactics room…now stood out in the hall outside of the tactics room. "eh?"

"Now what was that all about?" He scratched the back of his head.

Xiao huffed to herself, after slamming the door tightly. "That lunkhead! Ooh he makes me so mad! If I weren't here for Xun-san I would…I would"

"You're here for me?" A calm voice spoke from across the average sized tactics room.

Xiao jumped a three feet in the air in shock. She whirled around to see him. It was him in a chair, sitting lazily and looking at her from the curtain of caramel hair. Déjà vu, she thought.

Without being conscious of it, she had crossed the distance between easily. Dark almond shaped eyes stared into piercing and calm eyes that made her heart flutter.

Why hadn't she noticed it earlier?

"Xiao Qiao…" He had dropped formality with her…and it scared her. Was he going to reject her?

His hands were ungloved as Lu Xun reached out for her face. The smile that touched his face banished all doubts from her mind.

"That lunkhead! Ooh he makes me so mad! If I weren't here for Xun-san I would…I would-"

Lu Xun sat back in his chair, his gaze set on the pretty pony-tailed Qiao. "You're here for me?" How he had been able to keep his voice calm was beyond him. Inwardly he chuckled at her reaction, it was so Xiao. She was so innocent and cute it brought a longing into his heart. She was beautiful, and Lu Xun couldn't help but see (not for the first time) how true the sayings of their beauty were.

She came to him, much like she did only hours ago. Xiao stood only mere inches away from his seated form, and he looked up at her. Her wide eyes that rivaled with the color of a night sea looked imploringly at him. It provoked a need to possess this young girl within his grasp and never let go.

His ungloved hand traced the edges of her face. "You're beautiful Xi-"

Unceremoniously, she sat in his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. Her own hand traced the side of his face. When her lips brushed against the lobe of his ear he suppressed a shudder. His arms wrapped tightly around her form as she straddled his lap.

"Xun-san…I felt it." Xiao said, and Lu Xun stilled. Her head was turned away from him, so he pressed two fingers under her chin to make their gazes meet. A tear slipped down his Qiao's young face and the pad of his thumb wiped it away. He smiled gently at her and hoped his words wouldn't choke.

"I felt it too." His hand moved to cup the side of her face, and he couldn't help but notice how small and fragile she appeared to him in the moment. A sense of protectiveness overwhelmed him. He felt the world crumble at his feet when she smiled fully at him. Xun felt pride knowing that beautiful smile and glittering eyes were for him.

"I want to explore the spark I have with you." Xiao whispered, her warm breath brushed against his lips. Her smile tempted and invited him.

Lu Xun kissed her deeply, and she offered no resistance. His arms pulled her closer against him and slowly grinding their hips together. He felt a sense of smugness when she squeaked. Her wide dark eyes made Xun chuckle softly. Bringing a hand to carress her cheek he confessed to relieve the longing within.

"I do too, my Xiao Qiao…"

She pressed her forehead to his, her eyes affectionately peering into his own. "Qiao Ya Ling…"

"Hm?"

"That is my real name for you to keep…soon afterwards my heart will follow."

He brushed his lips against hers teasingly. She giggled happily.

"I can wait for it ...my Ling Ling."

Finis.

Authors Note:

Hm…I decided in this one, I'd have a little symbolism. I also gave Xiao Qiao a real name, because being called little Qiao just isn't cool. Although I really do like her name like that, it just nags me knowing that your not really calling her by her real name. So I sort of made it where their real names were a secret, and can be told to only whom they want.

In Chinese culture, its common for a person to make a nickname a double of a part of their name. Like…for Ya ling it could be Ling Ling or Ya Ya. I just prefer Ling Ling.

I hope this isn't too rushed, well it is sort of rushed…I did this in about three hours…more or less. But I've been wanting to write a Xiao Qiao fic for a while since I adore her character mostly cus shes so underplayed. And Lu Xun is absolutely scrumptious…so I put them together. I love Zhou Yu and all but I love alternate pairings…so I couldn't help myself when I wrote this. IN THIS ZHOU YU AND XIAO ARE NOT MARRIED. EXPECT TO SEE MORE WORK FROM ME LATER ON!